The invention has particular application to pharmaceutical products which are typically packaged in round, rigid glass containers that are usually filled with precise dosages. Accurate fill levels are important to prevent improper application of medicaments.
Such pharmaceutical products are usually packaged by high speed filling and capping equipment. The containers, vials, or bottles are filled with a predetermined volume of medicament at a filling station and thereafter sealed at the closure station.
The fill level is controlled primarily by dispensing medicaments from a reservoir. Dispensing the correct volume of medicament is attained, in most equipment, by a mechanically time-gated method such that medicaments are allowed to flow by gravity from a reservoir through a fill tube into the vial or bottle for a predetermined period of time. For example, for a given medicament, a predetermined volume is made to flow from a reservoir to a bottle by opening and closing a valve between the reservoir and fill tube and is generally controlled by a cam-spring mechanism or a solenoid. It has been found that these gating devices in high-speed, mass production equipment sometimes dispense improper amounts of medicaments because of wear, fatigue, or malfunctions.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a unique apparatus, method, and system for electronically checking, in-process, properly and improperly filled, round, transparent vials or containers and for causing the ejection of improperly filled containers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for checking the fill levels of liquids in round, transparent vials or containers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for checking the fill level of solids or powders in round, transparent vials or containers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, method, and system capable of high-speed, uninterrupted operation for one hundred percent fill level checking.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means of comparing fill levels against predetermined standard fill levels.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means of automatic rejection of improperly filled containers.
Another objection of the present invention is to provide a means for "teaching" a computer appropriate fill levels for vials or containers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for checking the fill levels of vials and containers of different sizes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fill level checker integral with an automatic filling and capping apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a display of the fill level of each container being checked.
Another object of the present invention is to provide output signals for closing down the fill and checking process if a pre-selected, programmable number of consecutive rejects are detected.